An internet and data centre giant is to open its fifth site in Manchester with an investment worth over £60m.
US firm Equinix said its new International Business Exchange (IBX) data centre will be based in the Agecroft Commerce Park in Salford
The California-headquartered firm said Manchester occupies a "key strategic location" at the intersection of the UK’s highly resilient “figure-of-eight” fibre-optic network.
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The new IBX—called MA5—will be Equinix's fifth data centre in the Greater Manchester area and is scheduled to open in the second quarter of 2022.
Lorraine Wilkinson, vice president, UK, Equinix , said: “With a rich industrial history, Manchester has long been one of the UK’s leading cities for business, catering to globally renowned companies and start-ups looking to grow and scale their operations.
"MA5 will provide high-speed connectivity to the North of England, facilitating the next generation of digital transformation within the region. The new site will bring Equinix’s total investment in Manchester to over £130m , and over £1bn in the UK’s digital infrastructure as a whole.”
The firm employs around 1,000 people in the UK - and said the new £61m MA5 centre will have a headcount of around 50.
Equinix, which is listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market, said MA5 had been designed for "high density deployments" in support of digital transformation projects across industries.
It will offer "state-of-the-art" colocation, interconnection and edge services - making it a new interconnection hub and remote geo-redundant deployment location for London.
The firm said the move to open the 6,480sq m site was in a bid to level up the UK's digital economy.
Russell Poole, MD, UK, added: “This new investment is a significant addition to our existing portfolio in the UK.
"The site will cater to the growing number of enterprises—both regionally and internationally—that require ultra-low-latency connectivity to remain competitive.
"MA5 forms part of a wider investment in the UK’s digital infrastructure, and further cements Britain’s position as one of the most important markets globally to do business.”
UK Science and Innovation Minister George Freeman, added: "The UK is one of the world's most digitally advanced economies.
"Through government and industry working together we are investing in new 5G and next-generation digital technologies to support UK businesses to build back better from the pandemic.
"Equinix's new Manchester data centre will not only help to create well-paying jobs across Manchester and the wider North West, but will also make sure businesses have the digital technology needed to succeed and grow in global markets."
